Magnetically animated doll



1957 c. E. ABBOTT 3,318,043

MAGNETICALLY ANIMATED DOLL I Filed March 18, 1965 VIII/[IA CHARLES E. ABBOTT INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,318,043 MAGNETICALLY ANIMATED DOLL Charles E. Abbott, 3308 SW. 40th Place, Oklahoma City, Okla. 73119 Filed Mar. 18, 1965, Ser. No. 440,893 2 Claims. (Cl. 46238) The present invention relates to toys and more particularly to an animated doll.

The principal object is to provide a doll figure and actuating means for moving the doll figure to simulate a twisting movement.

Another object is to provide a doll-like figure rotatably supported within a cage wherein the cage and doll may be rotated about their vertical axes in the same or opposing directions with respect to each other.

Still another object is to provide a device of this class wherein permanent magnets, supported by the cage and the doll, are positioned for attraction and repulsion for imparting quick movement of the dolls appendages as the magnets are moved toward and away from each other.

The present invention accomplishes these and other objects by rotatably positioning a doll figure within the confines of a cage.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying single sheet of drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the device with parts broken away for clarity; and,

FIGURES 2 and 3 are fragmentary vertical crosssectional views taken substantially along the lines 22 and 33, respectively, of FIG. 1.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur.

In the drawings:

The reference numeral indicates the device, as a whole, comprising a cage 12 loosely surrounding a doll figure 14. The cage 12 includes a circular bottom or base 16 and a top or upper circular disk 18. The base 16 and disk 18 are interconnected in superposed relation by a plurality, four in the example shown, of rod-like bars or supports 20. The bars 20 are bowed outwardly intermediate their respective ends on a diameter greater than the diameter on the base 16 for the purposes presently apparent.

The doll 14 includes a body portion 22 of any desired shape supported in spaced relation above the base 16 by a shaft 24. The upper end of the shaft 24 is rigidly connected to the body 22 while its other end portion is rotatively received by a centrally bored socket 26. A ball 28, within the socket 26, in contact with the depending end of the shaft, forms a thrust bearing which permits the doll 14 to rotate freely about its vertical axis. A pair of legs 30 is connected to the body 22 and each terminate in a foot portion 31 in closely spaced relation with respect to the plane of the upper surface of the base 16. Each of the legs 30 is connected to the body by a ball and socket type joint 32. A pair of arms 34, terminating in hand portions 35, is similarly connected to the respective sides of the body 22. A head portion 36 is connected to the upper limit of the body 22 by a ball and socket type joint 38. A collar simulating cap 40, connected with the body 22, surrounds the ball and socket joint 38. The upper portion of the head has partially imbedded therein a permanent magnet 42 while a similar magnet 44 1s positioned within a suitable recess formed in the depending surface of the top or disk 18.

The base 16 is provided with a first circular recess 46, rectangular in cross-section and concentric with the socket 26, which receives a plurality of permanent magnets 48. The diameter of the recess 46 is such'that the foot portion 31 is normally positioned above one of the magnets 48. As shown in FIG. 2, the foot portions 31 terminate in spaced relation with respect to the common plane formed by the upper surface of the base 16 and magnets 48. A magnet 50 is secured to the depending end surface of the respective foot portion 31. A second recess 52 is concentrically formed in the base 16 in outwardly spaced relation with respect to the first recess 46. A ring 54 is freely received by the second recess 52 and is connected to the depending end portion of the rods 20 so that the cage 12 may be rotated about its vertical axis with respect to the base 16. A divided ring 56 is removably secured to the upper outer peripheral surface of the base 16 and extends inwardly of the periphery thereof in overlapping relation with respect to the outer peripheral edge surface of the ring 54.

The hand-like portions 35 respectively support a permanent magnet 58. Support rod magnets 60 are connected to each support rod 20 on their inwardly disposed side surfaces in position to attract and repel the hand magnets 58. A wedge-like protrusion forming a handle or knob 62 is secured to the upper surface of the disk 18.

Operation In operation the device is preferably constructed of electrical non-conductive material, such as plastic, except for the permanent magnets and assembled as described hereinabove.

The base 16 is supported by a suitable surface, not shown. The knob 62 is manually grasped and quickly turned or rotated, in either direction, to rotate the cage 12 about its vertical axis.

Thus the respective head, foot and hand magnets are alternately repulsed and attracted by similar and opposite poles of the disk base and support rod magnets resulting in an animated twisting movement of the doll 14.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to some change or alteration without defeating its practicability, and I therefore do not wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein, further than I am limited by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An animated doll, comprising: a doll-like figure; a circular base, said base having a central socket in its upper surface; means mounting said doll-like figure vertically above said base comprising a shaft connected at one end to said doll-like figure in depending relation and rotatably supported at its other end by the socket in said base; a cage surrounding said doll-like figure, said cage comprising a ring rotatably supported by said base, an upper disk positioned above the uppermost limit of said doll-like figure and a plurality of spaced-apart support rods interconnecting said ring and said upper disk; a permanent magnet supported by the head and each hand and each foot of the doll-like figure; and other permanent magnets supported, respectively, by said disk, said support rods and said base in cooperating position with the first said permanent magnets.

2. An animated doll, comprising: a doll having a body, head, arms and legs, said arms and legs being pivotally connected to said body and terminating, respectively,

in foot and hand portions; a circular base having a central socket in its upper surface and having first and second spaced-apart circular recesses formed in its upper surface concentric with the socket; a cage surrounding said doll, said cage comprising a ring rotatably supported by the outermost recess in said base, a disk positioned above the doll head and a plurality of spaced-apart rod supports interconnecting said ring and said disk; a permanent magnet supported by said head and each said foot and hand portion; and other permanent magnets supported, respectiveiy, by said disk, said rod supports and said base in cooperating osition with the first said magnets.

References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS 569,665 2/1933 Germany.

10 RICHARD c. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

L. I. BOVASSO, R. F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiners. 

1. AN ANIMATED DOLL, COMPRISING: A DOLL-LIKE FIGURE; A CIRCULAR BASE, SAID BASE HAVING A CENTRAL SOCKET IN ITS UPPER SURFACE; MEANS MOUNTING SAID DOLL-LIKE FIGURE VERTICALLY ABOVE SAID BASE COMPRISING A SHAFT CONNECTED AT ONE END TO SAID DOLL-LIKE FIGURE IN DEPENDING RELATION AND ROTATABLY SUPPORTED AT ITS OTHER END BY THE SOCKET IN SAID BASE; A CAGE SURROUNDING SAID DOLL-LIKE FIGURE, SAID CAGE COMPRISING A RING ROTATABLY SUPPORTED BY SAID BASE, AN UPPER DISK POSITIONED ABOVE THE UPPERMOST LIMIT OF SAID DOLL-LIKE FIGURE AND A PLURALITY OF SPACED-APART SUPPORT RODS INTERCONNECTING SAID RING AND SAID UPPER DISK; A PERMANENT MAGNET SUPPORTED BY THE HEAD AND EACH HAND AND EACH FOOT OF THE DOLL-LIKE FIGURE; AND OTHER PERMANENT MAGNETS SUPPORTED, RESPECTIVELY, BY SAID DISK, SAID SUPPORT RODS AND SAID BASE IN COOPERATING POSITION WITH THE FIRST SAID PERMANENT MAGNETS. 